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Greening Ventura College

August 20, 2010

Ventura College has received a new greenhouse for Plant Biology and Agricultural Science classes.

Just in time for the heat of the summer, Ventura college has taken delivery of it’s newest teaching tool, a greenhouse. While a greenhouse isn’t exactly a new sight to those who’ve been part of Ventura College’s Agriculture Program (Ventura college was home to three before this one), it certainly is a welcome one.

This is because both the Plant Biology and Agricultural Science Programs need a large, climate controlled environment within which to run their experiments as well as grow and transplant numerous specimens.

An example is the copper toxicity studies done using radishes in the Soil and Water Science class. Conducted over the span of 6-8 weeks, this experiment requires constant vigilance, a time-consuming task to say the least. Without the security and consistency of a greenhouse environment, seedlings are subject to dehydration, weak growth, wind damage, and even theft! With the greenhouse, however, trips to the College every weekend to move plants indoors and outdoors and protect them from harm become unnecessary, leaving time for more important tasks, like devising extra experiments!

Look for this facility to become a major part of the Agricultural Sciences Program renovation. It will provide a suitable working environment for plant propagation, tissue culturing, carbon sequestration, nutrition/fertilizer uptake, water use, and other controlled experiments. It will also provide a nursery for seedlings that are to be used within the orchard and surrounding landscape, particularly native plants and uncommon landscape specimens.